SPANISH EXPRESSIONS RELATED TO BODY PARTS I

Good morning, dear readers! The 11th June we spoke you about Spanish food expressions, so today we’re speaking about Spanish expressions related to body parts. We love these type of constructions in Spanish Language Route, so let’s start!

Hablar por los codos (to talk with the elbows)

It means: to talk a blue streak.

Estar hasta las narices de algo (to be until the nose of something)

It means: to be fed up.

Dormir a pierna suelta (to sleep with unleashed leg)

It means: to sleep very relaxing.

Origin: it is during the time where prisoners were put fetters over their ankles lest they scaped. Sometimes, if someone had a really good behaviour, he could spend the night withouth being attached to any chain or any other prisoner, there comes the expression “dormir a pierna suelta”, that means to sleep very relaxing and to be in a better shape in the morning.

No tener pelos en la lengua (not to have hair on the tongue)

It means: not mince the words of somebody.

Origin: its precise procedence it is unknown, but it can be deduced: when somebody has a hair on his/her tongue, it is more difficult to pronounce and to speak because it bothers us. If there are no hairs, we can speak normally.

Dar el brazo a torcer (to give the arm to turn)

It means: not to budge.

Origin: the expressions comes from the battles with the hands, where the opponents hold onto their right hands and they start stretching to their sides to get the opponent hand to touch the table.

Meter la pata (to put the paw inside something)

It means: to slip-up.

Origin: it’s about an animal o ra person that put the paw in a dirty place or mire.

No dar pie con bola (to give feet with ball)

It means: to get something wrong many times.

Origin: it comes from the cards game. “Pie” was the player who should put the last card on and “bolo” was the moment where the player could win the game.

Origin: the beginning of these expressions is due to Diego de Almagro, that during the 16th Century begun expeditions in Latin-America. During one at the end of 1524 and 1525 he went to help Francisco Pizarro and he was injured on an eye by a native arrow. Some time later, Diego de Almagro spoke with king Carlos 1st and he said “El negocio de defender los intereses de la corona me ha costado un ojo de la cara” (the business of defending the crown interests cost me an eye of the face).

Origin: contrary to what is thought, “mosca” is not about an animal, but the fuse of the arquebus and the musket used to shoot it. The soldier carrying the arm (musketeer), after using and extinguising the fuse it was put behing the ear to have it localised in case of necessity.

Poner el dedo en la llaga (to put the finger on the ulcer)

It means: to finger on the problem.

Origin: the procedence is religious. It makes reference to Saint Thomas, to verify the identity of resurrected Jesus, he touched the wounds and checked if they were real, therefore he put the finger on the ulcer.

Andar con la soga al cuello (to walk with the rope on the neck)

It means: it pretends to describe the extern and anxious situation that experiences somebody.

Origin: it comes from the capital punishment of hanging somebody.

Well, what do you think? We know there are many more expressions. Let your comments and tell us which your favourit are, soon we will write a new post with all of them. See you soon!